Hey They Love Us!

The odds are the United States men’s soccer team will NOT win the World Cup and their magical journey may come to an end Monday in Seattle against Belgium.  However it does not matter because the U.S. is indeed the big winner in this quadrennial soccer event which world-wide makes the Super Bowl look like a local high school game.

You see as we get ready to observe and celebrate our 250^th birthday as a nation the world has discovered that America is awesome.  Whether it be New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle or other cities foreigners have not only flocked to the U.S. but have fallen in love with what we take for granted.  Yes they are here for what they call “football” and to have a good time but they have been universal in their praise of us.  The same people who are too often called “ugly Americans” have opened their arms to these visitors from Europe, Asia, Africa…all across the globe.

The World Cup will end in a couple of weeks and all these visitors will go back home with most telling their countrymen that we are great…even if we find plenty of reasons to despise one another.  They will rave about our food (and drink), endless choices from grocery stores to restaurants, air conditioned buildings and most important friendliness.  Whether it be asking for directions or asking to tour a firehouse they are finding smiles and friendliness.

Maybe most importantly this is reaffirmation that the experiment known as America has and is still working.  We are the grand experiment and while not perfect we continue to prove that 250 years of freedom, democracy, capitalism, ingenuity and just hard work pays off.

Only a little over 50% of us say they are very or extremely proud to be an American.  I am…are you?  Happy Birthday to us…here’s to another 250 years.